I pray that one day we can live in a world where people aren’t judged by the color of their skin, the people they choose to love or the religion they follow.
They seem simple enough stipulations; certainly attainable in any civilized society where people are regarded on merit and moral, not on preconceived and archaic notions of right and wrong.
And yet, though we may continue to make amazing breakthroughs in medical science and space exploration, though we may doggedly strive for a world where borders are broken and love reigns supreme, there remain those who wish to hold the door closed.
Guidance counselor Shelley Fitzgerald knows all about this. Having worked at Roncalli High School in Indianapolis for 15 years, she was placed on administrative leave. The reason? The school discovered she was married to a woman.
In an interview on Monday, Fitzgerald explained to WTHR that her private life was made public when someone sent her 2014 marriage license to a school administrator. Said administrator then sent the license to the archbishop of Indianapolis and the superintendent.
In the immediate aftermath of the document being leaked, Fitzgerald said she was given a simple ultimatum: “Dissolve” her marriage or resign.
“I have no intention of resigning, I have no intention of being quiet, and I didn’t need the counsel that they were offering from the priest,” she said to WTHR.
As for Roncalli High School, they took to social media to post an update on the situation:
“Catholic schools are ministries of the Catholic Church, and teachers, school guidance counselors and administrators are vital ministers in sharing the mission of the Church. They are expected to be role models and are expressly charged with leading students toward Christian maturity and with teaching the Word of God,” the statement reads.
“As role models for students, the personal conduct of every teacher, guidance counselor and administrator and staff member, both at school and away from school, must convey and be supportive of the teachings of the Catholic Church. These teachings include, but are not limited to… the belief that all persons are called to respect human sexuality and its expression in the Sacrament of Marriage between a man and a woman as a sign of God’s love and fidelity to His Church.”
https://www.facebook.com/RoncalliHighSchool/posts/2333986663293251
The secret
Fitzgerald says that she kept her personal life private for the duration of her time with the school, because she knew she risked losing her job as a result of the marriage.
Yet, in the face of adversity, there’s been a fantastic show of support. As of Tuesday afternoon (August 14, 2018), a Facebook page set up to defend Fitzgerald has garnered almost 3,000 members, many claiming to be students and alumni of the school itself.
“My goal, my intent is just to be a catalyst for change,” Fitzgerald says.
Personally, I stand fully behind Fitzgerald’s right to love who she wishes in this day and age. The fact that the school risk losing her simply because she’s married to a woman is unacceptable in modern society, though we’d love to hear your views. Leave comments in the box provided.
If you, too, support Fitzgerald, please help her cause by SHARING this article with friends and family on Facebook.
